Taylor Hicks~~Biography: The Journey, Modern Whomp Sent Spinning

With the Idol tour completed, Hicks entered the recording studio for his post-Idol album that was released December 12, 2006. The self-titled release debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 charts. With his own descriptive genre tag of “modern whomp,” the album “Taylor Hicks” was certified platinum by RIAA a month later. “Just to Feel That Way” was the first single released to radio, and “Heaven Knows” hit radio play in May, 2008.

With “Taylor Hicks” on the music shelves, the next stop for Hicks was his own Modern Whomp Solo Tour that kicked off in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 21, 2007. He was back on the road, and at home in his luxurious tour bus that took him to more than 50 cities for 55 concerts in many sold-out venues from February to May. Touring with him was Music Director and keyboardist, Loren Gold, backup singer Melanie Nyema, and an outstanding band playing a unique blend of modern blues, soul and rock in historic theatres and modern clubs and venues.

During the successful and exhausting 2007 tour, the May 9 show at the historic Warfield Theatre in San Francisco was professionally captured in its entirety and became the first live concert DVD for the touring musician. “Whomp at the Warfield” released in January, 2010, caught the high-energy, show-stopping talent of Hicks and the Tour Band. It includes a bonus interview in which Hicks talks about his music, “modern whomp,” and life on the road, and a special performance of “Son of a Carpenter,” not performed on tour. “Whomp” showcases the high- energy stage persona of this American Idol taking it beyond the singing competition that first gave him a national voice but did not tell the whole story of his musicianship and entertainment prowess.

The new life wasn’t all about music. In collaboration with David Wild, renowned Rolling Stone writer, Hicks took time to write his autobiography, Heart Full of Soul, “an Inspirational Memoir about Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way.” Published by Random House, it hit bookshelves in July, 2007. It told the story of a child finding solace in music, and a young man struggling to find his way in the difficult, and sometimes dark, world of a struggling musician on the road looking for that one elusive break—the elusive break which finally came, looking like fate and named Katrina.

In the summer of 2007, Hicks re-released his original album, In Your Time, which enjoyed new popularity with fans on the concert circuit. Copies of the original In Your Time release are rarely available and highly sought after by music collectors.

A Summer Tour of festivals and special events lasted into November, 2007, with a final concert at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, MS. From Jacksonville, FL in February to Pearl River in November, Hicks appeared in 111 concerts in 98 different cities. The Hicks fanbase, fondly dubbed the Soul Patrol, turned out in mass, in their local towns and crisscrossing the country to see their Idol. Reviews of his live performances consistently praised the intensity and energy on stage with every “always-on” performance passionately and uniquely Hicks. He was credited with setting a new standard for touring entertainers: Give it all you’ve got; never phone it in! It paid off on the bottom line as his Modern Whomp Solo Tour was the 27th highest grossing tour of 2007.

Modern Whomp music went global when Hicks launched an Asian tour in the Philippines in December, 2007. He appeared as a special guest performer on Asian Idol and entertained thousands of enthusiastic fans in Manila.

While the new year brought platinum certification for his current CD, Taylor Hicks, special recognition came back home for the native son who emotionally sings, “My home’s in Alabama.” The Alabama Music Hall of Fame recognized Hicks with its America’s Music Award at its 2008 Annual Music Hall of Fame Induction Gala in February. The Alabama music community annually recognizes the rich musical heritage of its musicians, songwriters and music industry achievers. With this award, Hicks was given an exhibit in the Music Hall of Fame Museum in Tuscumera, Alabama. A brick was placed on the I Believe in Music Walkway at the Museum, a gift from fans and The Soul Connection, the professionally published Taylor Hicks online e’zine.

Tomorrow: “Birmingham to Broadway” Idol turns Angel playing a new kind of harp…

Taylor Hicks ~~ Biography: The Journey, A New Journey

In a twist of fate that would reshape his life, Taylor Hicks was in New Orleans for a friend’s wedding on the weekend in 2005 that Hurricane Katrina struck with devastating fury. In the early Sunday morning hours, he managed to take a taxi out of the imperiled city. From the airlines that cancelled his flight out of New Orleans, he received a voucher that became his ticket to American Idol tryouts in Las Vegas and to a new life in the bright lights of stardom.

Originally encouraged by his brother, Sean, to audition for American Idol in Memphis, Hicks missed this opportunity when tryouts were cancelled because of Katrina relief efforts. He had never been to Las Vegas and tryouts there were still scheduled. The American Idol competition would measure his resolve to never walk away, even in the long audition lines outside the huge convention center in Las Vegas.

Hicks recounted three years later his encounter that shaped that resolve:

"I remember standing outside in Las Vegas at American Idol [auditions], and kids were coming up to me asking me where my kid was that was auditioning. If that doesn't make you want to walk away, I don't know what does. But I never walked away. I knew I had a vision, and that was to entertain people—and here I am."

At age 13, his hair had begun to turn prematurely gray. He did not fit the image of the young, pop music hopefuls.

On May 24, 2006, in the most-watched TV show of the DECADE, Taylor Hicks became the unlikely winner of American Idol Season 5 with over 63.4 million votes--more votes than the President had received in the last election. He was one of only three winning Idols who had never placed in the bottom two or three. Kelly Clarkston and Carrie Underwood share that distinction. When Idol judge, Simon Cowell asked in auditions why he wanted to be American Idol, Hicks said, “I want my voice heard.” Cowell insisted, “Why?”

“Because I think I have one,” Hicks proclaimed.

Life in the spotlight as 2006 American Idol began with a non-stop media blitz and sharing the stage with stars like Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, and Snoop Dog. He appeared on every early morning news show and twice visited with Jay Leno on the late night talk show. His first major concert appearance was at the huge Stadium of Fire Fourth of July Celebration in Salt Lake City Utah, July 1, 2006.

After signing a recording contract with Arista Records his American Idol single, “Do I Make You Proud” and the Michael McDonald classic, blue-eyed soul number, “Takin’ it to the Streets” hit the streets. The front side debuted at No. 1 and stayed there for nine weeks. “Do I Make You Proud” quickly sold gold and was the No. 1 selling single in 2006. It has become a modern classic for memorable occasions like graduations. Hicks began a tradition of dedicating this song to the American troops.

As headliner for the American Idol Summer Tour that was launched on July 5, 2006, Hicks and Idol finalists boarded their busses and crisscrossed the country from New England to the West Coast and were welcomed by record-setting crowds. It was the most successful American Idol tour ever, or since, grossing over $35.2 million and averaging 96% capacity. (Syracuse.com)

At the time of Season Five, American Idol had not allowed competitors to play instruments on the show. On the Idol tour, however, Hicks played harmonica and guitar for every scheduled concert, and he never missed a performance on the killer schedule. Hicks also performed in a “shadow tour” meeting up with his former band mates, the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra. After the Idol concert, at historic clubs like Smith’s Bar in Atlanta, he and the band jammed into the early morning hours. He said that it kept him grounded.

~~~

Tomorrow: Whomp Sent Spinning "With the Idol tour completed..."

(Scroll down for Part 1)

Taylor Hicks ~~ Touring's in the Blood!

Taylor Hicks kicked off his Modern Whomp Solo Tour on this day in 2007 on an historic stage at the SOLD OUT Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the same stage where Elvis Presley opened his first national tour. In the footsteps of The King, Taylor hit the road and rocked the stage on a very ambitious tour.

If it's February...

It was nothing new for the 2006 American Idol. Taylor Hicks had been on the road for ten years throughout the South, although this road trip was going a little bit farther.

As he prepared for Opening Night in Jacksonville, Taylor told an interviewer,

“Touring is in my blood.”

Touring is that irreplaceable connection with the people.

And this tour had a formidable cast of musicians.

“I’ve handpicked all of the players.”

Taylor was giddy about taking off with an 8-member soul band:

Taylor Hicks, Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Cow Bell
Loren Gold, Music Director, Keyboards, Vocals
Josh Smith, Guitars
Al Carty, Bass
Brian Gallagher, Saxophone, Flute, Percussion
Felix Pollard, Drums
Brian Less, Organ, Vocals
Melanie Nyema, Vocals, Percussion

“Taylor Hicks,” the album, had been released in December, 2006, and the set list would reflect much of the music from the record that had just been certified platinum in January.

He said of the set list then:

“It’s gonna be loose. I’ve been the same performer regionally for ten years, and now I’m that same performer nationally.”

It was new music and old music. The opening song on this first national tour was appropriately, “Soul Thing.” Taylor has claimed it as his mantra for the years on the road.

Opening Night in Jacksonville:

Soul Thing
Heaven Knows
The Maze
Hell of a Day
Wherever I Lay My Hat
Dream Myself Awake
Just to Feel That Way
Heart and Soul
-Call and response (Soul Patrol!)
-Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Chuck Berry)
The Deal
The Runaround
Gonna Move
Young Turks
Takin’ It To the Streets (Doobie Brothers)
The Right Place
Encore:
Long Train Runnin’ (Doobie Brothers)

Jacksonville Times-Union writer, Dan McDonald, reviewed the concert the next day:

“Hicks…is unashamed of his love for the music. It is this genuine quality that makes his performance endearing and entertaining. …Totally at ease…He was a performer, not some contest winner. …On this night these people invested more than a couple phone calls to vote for Hicks. This time they spent real money to buy tickets. He answered the call.

“Hicks will always carry that American Idol baggage- for better or for worse- but of all the winners, he may be the performer who stays true to his own musical muse. Hicks sings from his soul.”

Many of us had in hand our own itinerary for a few days after opening night and would meet up along the road that year.

The Modern Whomp Solo Tour played 109 concerts from February 21, to November 2, 2007. Almost 40% of the shows were SOLD OUT! All were at near capacity!

So, if it’s February, and it is…

Taylor Hicks is rehearsing. Fans are packing. There’s more touring on this horizon…just three days from now—a new set list and perhaps new band members.

It is like marking the seasons for the touring musician…

And as the concert reviewer did in Jacksonville, we could also say today…

“He sings from his soul!”

We said in our Congratulations then as we all started that new journey:
“We have miles to go…”

That's still true. There are many more miles and many more Opening Nights!


Congratulations, Taylor, on another February and another tour!

Sing from your soul!

~~

Touring in the Blood ~~ 2011:

February 24, 2011 ~~ Pensacola, FL, Vinyl Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. Tickets on sale:
http://www.vinylmusichall.com/event/28543/

February 25, 2011 ~~ Tunica, MS, Gold Strike Casino, Millennium Theatre, 9:00 p.m.
http://www.goldstrikemississippi.com/entertainment/millenniumtheatre.aspx

February 26, 2011 ~~ Biloxi, MS, Beau Rivage Theatre, 8:00 p.m.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B004550A4DC5F87?artistid=1092763&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=202

NEW BENEFIT CONCERT:
March 28, 2011 ~~ San Marcos, TX, for Ride 2 Recovery Texas Challenge, 7:30 p.m. $50 donation and $150 VIP Meet and Greet.
http://www.ride2recovery.com/component/content/article/7.html

April 28, 2011 ~~ Snoqualmie, WA, Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom, 7:00 p.m.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F00463CB62D6833?artistid=1092763&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=202

May 27, 2011 ~~ Coos Bay, OR, The Mill Casino, Salmon Room, TWO shows, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Tickets: 1.800.953.4800
http://www.themillcasino.com/entertainment/concerts.cfm

Stay tuned…

It’s only February!

Thanks to RagsQueen for saving the memories of “Taylor Hicks” in Lights, and for Taylor on stage in Jacksonville!

Thanks to cath_tthc for all the archiving of the 2007 Tour!

For a look at the 2007 Tour Dates and Cities:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/connections/topic/619337/1/


For the Connections Bus Stop thread on Jacksonville and all the other stops in 2007 visit:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/connections/topic/621135/1/#new

"Whomp at the Warfield" ~~ Gamut of good music...

In “Whomp at the Warfield” The Interview, Taylor Hicks explains the naming of his “whomp” music with words like “raw,” and “gritty.”

However you define or describe it, Taylor’s modern whomp plays a grand gamut from raw and gritty sounds to tender and melodic songs. One he even identifies as a connection between himself and his loyal group of fans, The Soul Patrol.

“Whomp at the Warfield,” setlist was created from long standing Taylor favorites of his early roots music and new sounds from his post-Idol album, “Taylor Hicks.” It’s eclectic and, as one reviewer said, delivers the funk.

“Gonna Move” has been a frequent concert number from AI Shadow Tour shows to Shadow Tour concerts now. It’s an upbeat song about moving on with a beat that makes you want to get going. Its lyrics speak volumes for the young man who attended Auburn University only to finally realize that “those books were making me lose my smile.” It was time to move on to what really made him smile. He left Auburn with what became a long term commitment to his music.

Not truly being part of the “rock” generation, I have always been a fan of Taylor’s “pure voice” acoustic songs like “Wherever I Lay My Hat,” “The Right Place” and “The Fall.”

This is not to say that I don’t feel it on big blasts like “Badge” and “Naked in the Jungle.” They take the spirit for a ride that brings back the youngster in all of us.

They make you love loud music again!

Still, there is a depth to “Wherever I Lay My Hat,” with lyrics that must ring true to the young musician who has been on the road for much of his life. There seems a sense of sadness in the intense vocals about traveling with no home. Taylor has said he has not had a home since he left Alabama in 2005 for American Idol. This has always been a favorite from “Taylor Hicks” his first post-Idol album.

I would have bought “Whomp at the Warfield” just for “The Fall.” For me, this is the high point of the Warfield experience.

With intricate phrasing and lyrics and a gentle and uncommon melody, “The Fall,” will be the career maker for Taylor Hicks, the song writer. It is a song you can listen to forever. It was performed at the Warfield with astounding tenderness, yet emotional depth. It always makes you wonder about the story behind it, though you know it is only for the singer and song writer to know. Taylor somewhat reveals the future of this song in his interview. Whatever the future, I believe it will be a long one.

Many of the songs in Taylor’s live concerts have delightful little surprises tucked away inside—“tags” of other songs. You’re listening to say, “The Maze” and suddenly Taylor lifts his hands for the band to “pay attention,” waits for the audience’s sense of anticipation to peak, and, with a knowing grin, launches into a “tag” like “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” one of the most popular and one that brought down the Warfield as he slipped “Barry Bonds” into the lyrics. “Tupelo Honey” is another sweet and silky surprise, and “Eastbound and Down” takes you trucking to somewhere that Taylor has said is unplanned. It’s the art of the seasoned musician and entertainer.

“The Right Place,” a song by Bryan Adams, was originally given to Ray Charles to record, but he never did. It must have been a thrill for Taylor to have the opportunity to record this song of his idol, Brother Ray. He sings it in a strong voice as if Ray Charles were sitting at the piano pounding on the keys.

These were instantly memorable moments for me in “Whomp at the Warfield.” The complete setlist is included below in a previous “Whomp” blog.

A Taylor Hicks concert is a party of musicians splashing color and personality all over the musical canvass. They are celebrating what they love—making music. The world class band in “Whomp at the Warfield” is as much fun to watch as Taylor. They are equal to the swampy sounds of Taylor’s whomp and take their music to the same intense, energy-laden heights and expanses as Mr. Hicks does. They are all ultimately serious musicians having the time of their lives every night they walk onto the stage.

That’s infectious to the music lover whether it’s captured on DVD or you are standing at the stage experiencing it live.

A music industry blogger, Bob Lefsetz, recently wrote that the live performance is where it’s at. He also said, “We don’t have to have music, but we want it.”

We want real music from musicians who make good music. I can think of a lot of good music out there—and some not so.

“Whomp at the Warfield” is good music!

Quote "does not fail to deliver the funk" from Lakendra Lewis in Musicouching.

Note: The production of “Whomp at the Warfield,” is superb and highly professional. Closeups capture the expressions, and sometimes antics, of the performers as they enjoy making their own kind of music. It records the magic of the place and time. If you want to know the music of Taylor Hicks, see him perform it live on stage in “Whomp at the Warfield!”

Photo by San: Taylor Hicks in Tempe, AZ, 5.1.07 a few days before the Warfield concert.

Taylor Hicks ~~ "Whomp at the Warfield" Showing Tuesday!

The first live concert DVD by Taylor Hicks, “Whomp at the Warfield,” brings an energy-spiked performance from the old Warfield Theatre in San Francisco to the music scene Tuesday.

"Ya gotta love San Francisco!" Taylor exclaimed during his live performance at the Warfield, May 9, 2007.

One of the last surviving vaudeville palaces in San Francisco, this place was a popular stop in the '20s for big-name national performers like Al Jolson. Today, it books acts as diverse as Ryan Adams and Bill Maher.

It was a popular stop for Taylor Hicks on the successful West Coast swing of his Modern Whomp Solo Tour in 2007.

Reviews at the time showed the enthusiasm on both sides of the stage. One fan called it “the best.”

“....the crowds were INTO Taylor from beginning to end. There is no need for judicial editing of the concert if the intent is to show crowd enthusiasm. The enthusiasm was NATURAL !! Their love of Taylor, the man and his music is SELF_EVIDENT…I've been to many concerts in my lifetime (Rod Stewart, Allman Brothers, Billy joel, Elvis Costello, you name them) and I have to say, this is probably one of the bests ones I've been to in years.” (Marinata)


“He connects with his fans. You must be there to feel the energy he communicates from the stage. He goes with their vibe, and is such a crowd pleaser! Lots of original tunes here for the tour DVD, and easier for permission rights. His voice was strong, He looked great, slim and trim, aligator boot shoes, sweating right through his jacket, and yet did a three song encore! He was workin it! Great band, and he shows them such LOVE! He works on stage in unity with his band, and they respond to him as their obvious leader. They just smile and go where his music goes. It Really is THE RIGHT PLACE! We Loved It!” (soulpatrol120)

“Whomp at the Warfield” in Hi-Definition from Image Entertainment is available at all of these retailers:

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Hicks-Whomp-at-Warfield/dp/B001KEGR7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1262549056&sr=1-1


Target.com (Online, not in stores)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-7056237-1135265?asin=B002WH2DD6&AFID=shopzilla_df&LNM=B002WH2DD6&CPNG=movies&ref=tgt_adv_XSB10001

DVD Universe
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7798575&style=movie


Movies Unlimited
http://www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/product.asp?sku=D70973++&mscssid=3734XXES2CJ49H5XC3EBGNVRFHCNEL1B

Barnes & Noble
http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?r=1&mr:referralID=3b093639%2Df89f%2D11de%2Db5f3%2D000423bb4e95&ourl=DVD%2FTaylor%2DHicks%2DWhomp%2Dat%2Dthe%2DWarfield&EAN=14381507829&cm_mmc=Shopzilla-_-Category-_-Title-_-14381507829


Overstock.com
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Taylor-Hicks-Whomp-At-The-Warfield-DVD/3545079/product.html?keywords=Whomp%20at%20the%20Warfield&searchtype=Header


Best Buy
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp;jsessionid=6AF52310E75391257BDF142669E423C7.bbolsp-app02-27?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=225512733576417751&id=pcat17071&type=page&st=Whomp+at+the+Warfield&sc=movieSP&cp=1&nrp=15&sp=&qp=&list=n&iht=y&usc=Movies&ks=960


DVD Pacific
http://dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=1048325


Fry’s.com
http://www.frys.com/product/5813143?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG




Relive the “whomp” as it resonated in the old Warfield. Discover the magic of this highly amped-up live performance by Taylor Hicks.

Start 2010 with a music celebration—get “Whomp at the Warfield” today!

Read more below about “Whomp at the Warfield” in previous blog, "Taylor Hicks Rings in the Whomp!"

(Thanks to sweetsmoke who originally tweeted a list of retailers. TTHC has added to it.)

Taylor Hicks~~ Rings in the Whomp!

“Whomp at the Warfield,” the live concert DVD by platinum recording artist, Taylor Hicks, is out January 5, 2010!

In May, 2007, Taylor Hicks had been on the road touring since February 21, doing five to six shows a week. He had been to 50 cities and 15 states. His tour bus had wound its way through the South, the Northeast and Midwest, and finally, the Southwest and California. He had been sick.

If you had seen him step onto the stage at the historic Warfield Theatre in San Francisco on May 9, you wouldn’t know that. It could have been the first concert of the tour.

Taylor Hicks does not slow down or dial down the energy!

This whirlwind of music and motion is caught in the singer’s first DVD, “Whomp at the Warfield.”

Captured May 9, 2007, at the historic Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, Taylor weaves an eclectic setlist through a fun evening. From rock classics like “Badge” and Eric Clapton’s “Naked in the Jungle” to Taylor’s own lament of lost love, “The Fall,” the Warfield concert is a ramped up new sound for the old theatre near Market Street.

The energy-spiked performance brings down the Warfield—whomp style.

During Prohibition days a lively speakeasy occupied the basement of the theatrical relic. In 1939, the Warfield hosted the epic “Gone with the Wind” with a portrait of Rhett Butler hanging in the lobby.

Almost 60 years after the historic saga of the South lit up the Warfield, Modern Whomp set the stage ablaze with an eclectic setlist delivered in style—Taylor Hicks in fancy boots, with a flashing smile, screaming guitar and wailing harp, “funkin’” it up on “Medicated Goo” and declaring, “You gotta love San Francisco.”

A new-age sound resonates in the old Warfield as Taylor’s diverse performance includes:

Gonna Move
Give Me Tonight
Heart and Soul
Just to Feel That Way
My Friend
The Deal
Hold on to Your Love
Wherever I Lay My Hat
Soul Thing
Heaven Knows
The Maze
The Right Place
The Runaround
The Fall
Badge
Naked in the Jungle

One review from a concertgoer claimed that the acoustic rendition of Taylor’s own, “The Fall” and Cream’s rock classic, “Badge” would be worth the price of the DVD.

Professional production and Taylor Hicks in hi-energy and hi-def makes this one musical bargain!

“Whomp at the Warfield,” live concert by Taylor Hicks on DVD is at stores January 5, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Ring in the Whomp! Pre-order now for a New Year's celebration on January 5th!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KEGR7A?ie=UTF8&tag=egamimediacom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001KEGR7A

Whomp in the desert...

Taylor Hicks can finally put away Chicago’s sweaters and Ohio’s wool scarves. He can pull out the t-shirts and baseball caps again. Well….maybe…

Whomp visits the Southwest as Taylor Hicks dons his Teen Angel wings again and rejoins the cast of Grease in Tucson, Arizona, February 24 through March 1. Sunshine is always expected in the desert, and it promises to welcome the Grease troupe as they travel west for the first time on this national tour.

Taylor’s upcoming return to Arizona brought back pleasant memories of his first visit in 2007 when he appeared at The Marquee in Tempe. It was a small venue compared to others on that concert tour. The performance was not small. It was one of the best on the tour, and I saw a few of them.

From Relix Magazine: “At the Marquee, he affirmed that the stage is where he excels, offering a soulful charisma, rich voice and imaginative setlists littered with multi-genre selections.

“Perhaps what made Hicks a contest champion became evident by show’s end as the band eased into Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” without a hint of misplaced showmanship. The man appears determined to deliver the entertainment goods his way and if that means that he earns his crown via the road one gig at a time then it is certainly a setting he embraces without qualification.” (Relix: The Magazine for Music, by Randy Ray, 5.25.07)

In Tempe, Taylor opened with Runaround and never looked back. He romped around the stage with his usual abandon… walking to the very edge and once, turning around and encountering a stage light, jumped over it without missing a note! From “Runaround” to a soulful exit all alone playing “Long Way Home” on his harmonica, it was one of the most memorable performances in a long list of unforgettable concerts. The smaller crowd never deterred him from giving it his all. It was another “I never phone it in” performance!

This was just the kind of performance we have come to expect from Taylor Hicks….every venue, every night, every song. You know what to expect…only the very best from this Alabama son who keeps raising the bar with new music, new experiences and new horizons for himself and his fans.

Welcome back to the West, Taylor!
Now, if you know the desert or Tony Hillerman novels, you know that the weather can change like the tags in a Taylor Hicks song…in a moment. Better pack a couple of those sweaters!

Just looking over the sweaters... I’m going along on this one!

Soul Music...

singing with the ugly face...

“Soul is singing with the ugly face.” Sharon Jones, a gospel-trained singer who started performing soul in the ‘70s can sing with sweetness and grace, but she says there’s more to it than that. “I think when you go soul, you got to get the ugly face.”

A newcomer to soul music is a young Eli “Paperboy” Reed who “knows how to sing ugly.” “My music sounds the way it does ‘cause everybody wears their influences on their sleeve...” he says. It is “marked by a passionate precision and raw intensity.”

According to National Public Radio writer, Ashley Kahn, “If you’re talking about music, soul is easy to define. It’s a gritty, vocal style, filled with a feeling straight out of the black church. Soul music was born in the ‘50s, took over the charts in the ‘60s, and remains alive and well today. Soul often has horn sections and sometimes strings, but it doesn’t like to be too dressed up with polished production: Soul is more about naked emotion and personal testimony.

“Soul music was born thanks to the innovations of a generation of post-war musicians who, essentially, turned gospel music into a secular form of art.” Ray Charles and Sam Cooke were two of the founding fathers, but there were many soul singers and groups who fostered the evolution of the mainstream black music into mainstream American music.

A stepchild of soul music was the “blue-eyed soul” singer—a white artist who performed the black music. Singers in the 60s like the The Righteous Brothers took soul music to the top of the charts. The ride for soul continues with music from a plethora of artists such as Michael McDonald, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse and Taylor Hicks.

Blue-eyed-soul singer, Taylor Hicks, told NPR Tapestry in a radio interview in 2005, “My music is derived from the old soul artists of back in the day…the high energy live performers like Sam Cooke and Marvin Gay, Otis Redding and a lot of the Stax soul review—energy that you would have if you saw those play back in the day.” He writes in his autobiography, “Heart Full of Soul,” of his early attachment to soul music growing up in an imperfect world…”....And all the while, I was listening to soul music - music where you can actually hear a man’s heart break. So it just really made sense to me - even at such a young age.”

Taylor Hicks has the voice…a gravely, whiskey tenor with the “passionate precision and raw intensity” described by Paperboy Reed. He performs his music with the intensity of a tent revival testimony. Taylor can sing with the ugly face…the face he wears when he “takes us to church”!

The new sound of soul by Taylor Hicks will take us to church on March 10 when “The Distance,” is being released on his own label, Modern Whomp Records.

Soul music—emotions set down in music inspiring the ugly face!

Sources: Ashley Kahn, National Public Radio, and NPR Tapestry; Heart Full of Soul, by Taylor Hicks.

Grease~sweet home, Chicago!

Taylor Hicks warms up this town…

Chicago loves Grease and Taylor Hicks!

Chicago has loved this show for years. It’s loving it again—the music, the young cast (Danny and Sandy leads, Eric Schneider and Emily Padgett, are from Illinois), and Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. The original tale of life at Taft High was told by Jim Jacobs in the musical that opened at Chicago’s Kingston Mines Theater in 1971. It hasn’t been the same since, evolving to a hit movie starring John Travolta and Oliver Newton-John, the original Broadway show, and the recent 2007 Broadway revival production.

Grease is still Chicago’s baby. Jacobs sat in the audience on opening night and spoke to the media about his original memoir of life in the 50s at Taft High as edgy and racy. “There would be a sign in the window, ‘If this were a movie, it would be R rated.’” There was even an appeal in the press last week for the return of the original, more realistic Grease.

While the show and cast have been well received in the Windy City, the star billing was undeniably for Taylor Hicks. He was everywhere—appearing on early morning news shows, talking with media, and looking for the ultimate cheeseburger.

Take a look at some of the press, as modern whomp meets Northern soul and produces pure entertainment.

From Andy Argyrakis at hearsay.cc:
“Of course before anyone could dig too deep into the storyline, all eyes locked on Hicks, who descended from the ceiling as Teen Angel (aptly following in the footsteps of Frankie Avalon and even Chubby Checker) for a short but sweet rendition of “Beauty School Dropout.” The 2006 “American Idol” winner added some soulful flourishes to the number thanks to a short harmonica solo at the end and had no problem hamming it up with his campy flair burning brightly, despite no prior acting experience.

“After all the actors bowed, fans were treated to a concert-like encore featuring a medley of the show’s greatest hits led by Hicks. He broke out the harmonica yet again for the title track, while reprisals of “Born To Hand-Jive” and “You’re the One That I Want” had so much pep they matched the dynamism of Less Than Jake’s unconventional covers collection chronicling the same soundtrack.”

From Steven Oxman at “Variety”…
“While ‘Grease,’ the touring version of the recently closed Broadway revival, lacks the inspiration and emotional sincerity needed to be more than merely peppy and puerile, it does come alive from a sheer kitsch perspective when Taylor Hicks of "American Idol" fame emerges from a giant ice cream cone to sing "Beauty School Dropout." In fact, the biggest laugh of the evening comes when the flirtatious Frenchy twirls Mr. Hicks' exposed chest hair and purrs, ‘I voooted for you.’

“The line, delivered deliciously by standout Kate Morgan Chadwick, has layers of significance beyond a single moment of self-conscious humor, since this "Grease," directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, was originally birthed on the NBC reality show "Grease: You're the One That I Want," in which the television audience selected the previously unknown Max Crumm and Laura Osnes to become Rialto headliners in the revival.

“The ensemble boasts plenty of chops, particularly an ability to capture the melodic elements of the songs. And they do their best to amp up the comedy. But, the little love stories that drive the plot have no dramatic force whatsoever. All the scenes have the same energy, the emotions are all plastic, and the characterizations, purely generic.

“This is where Hicks separates himself, creating his own little show-within-a-show, lifting us out of the manufactured quality of the production to enjoy a few moments of an over-the-top oddness that's decidedly individual. Yes, he delivers on pre-ordained expectations -- he even plays the harmonica and dances …like he's a father at a party trying to embarrass his kids.

“But, to his credit and to the audience's enjoyment, nobody else could be this Teen Angel, and there's no point in even trying to compare him to Frankie Avalon.”

Weekend media included a Sunday morning interview on WGN Radio with Dean Richards who earlier in the week gave Grease and Taylor’s performance an “A” and raved about the production. He and Taylor chatted about Grease, Taylor’s new music, his admiration for Buddy Guy, a childhood memory of Bozo the Clown from WGN, and Taylor’s quest to find the ultimate cheeseburger. Taylor even expressed his appreciation for the Chicago snowfall, a novelty for the Alabama native.

Come blizzard or heat wave, Grease continues its Chicago stay through Sunday, January 18.

As Chicago embraces the soulful, “campy” Teen Angel, Taylor is giving back the love…he is doing a video shoot while in Chicago for his new single, “What’s Right is Right,” which impacts radio play and is released to iTunes January 20. The album, “The Distance” is out March 10. He takes his modern whomp soul music to the Lincoln Park club, Martyr’s, for a late show on January 17 where it is reported that he will “try out new music.”

As Taylor has said, “either you entertain people, or you go home.” At this rate, Taylor won’t be going home any time soon!

After Dean Richards reiterated some of Taylor’s current projects, Taylor ended the interview with what struck me as a profound and prophetic comment: “I’m around.” Well said.

Goodbye, Alabama…

(sources: hearsay.cc, variety.com, leisureblog.chicagotribune.com,nwitimes.com, WGN Radio)